Greek Chicken Gyros (Authentic Cooking Method)

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 5 minutes
• total time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

2-2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12-16 thighs)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tbsp dried oregano

1/2 lemon juiced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups cooked rice

1 cup halved baby tomatoes

1 cup chopped cucumber

1/2 cup black olives

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce

1/2 cup tzatziki (make our easy tzatziki recipe)

2 pitas (make our fluffy Greek pita bread recipe)

2-2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12-16 thighs)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tbsp dried oregano

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 large white onion, grated

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp all spice

1/8 tsp cloves

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 red onion, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup baby potatoes

2-2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12-16 thighs)

2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp ground chili powder

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp ground all spice

1 tbsp ground pepper

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Make the marinade: add all of the marinade ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl or baking dish and whisk together.

Marinate the chicken: add the chicken thighs to the marinade, toss to combine well and put in the fridge to marinate for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.

Once the chicken has marinated for at least 1 hour, remove from the fridge and preheat the oven to 400F.

Use a vertical spit (meant for oven use) OR use an onion half as a base and position a skewer or two vertically into the onion like a spit on a sheet pan lined with foil. Thread the chicken thighs onto the skewer, making sure to rotate each thigh a bit as you go and the thighs are layered tightly together.

Bake for 1- 1 ½ hours, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (75°C). Let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing / carving off slices of the chicken. Serve with pita, tzatziki and vegetables or in a bowl (see below for ideas).

Variation: chicken gyros bowl

Use the cooked chicken to make chicken gyros bowls by dividing the cooked chicken, rice, baby tomatoes, chopped cucumber, olives, crumbled feta cheese, sliced romaine lettuce, tzatziki and pita between 4 bowls.

Variation: Gyro chicken with vegetables

Make the marinade: add all of the marinade ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl or baking dish and whisk together (salt, pepper, garlic, dried oregano, lemon juice, ground cumin, Greek yogurt, olive oil, grated onion, cinnamon, all spice, cloves and dried parsley).

Marinate the chicken: add the chicken thighs to the marinade, toss to combine well and put in the fridge to marinate for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.

Once the chicken has marinated for at least 1 hour, remove from the fridge and preheat the oven to 400F.

Use a vertical spit (meant for oven use) OR use an onion half as a base and position a skewer or two vertically into the onion like a spit on a sheet pan lined with foil. Thread the chicken thighs onto the skewer, making sure to rotate each thigh a bit as you go and the thighs are layered tightly together. Add the chopped red onion, chopped red pepper and potatoes to the base of the vertical spit (or sheet pan if you're using).

Bake for 1- 1 ½ hours, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (75°C), baste the vegetables with any pan juices at the half hour mark. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing / carving off slices of the chicken. Serve with pita, tzatziki and vegetables or in a bowl (see above for ideas).

Variation: Chicken shawarma

Make the marinade: add all of the marinade ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl or baking dish and whisk together.

Marinate the chicken: add the chicken thighs to the marinade, toss to combine well and put in the fridge to marinate for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.

Once the chicken has marinated for at least 1 hour, remove from the fridge and preheat the oven to 400F.

Use a vertical spit (meant for oven use) OR use an onion half as a base and position a skewer or two vertically into the onion like a spit on a sheet pan lined with foil. Thread the chicken thighs onto the skewer, making sure to rotate each thigh a bit as you go and the thighs are layered tightly together.

Bake for 1- 1 ½ hours, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (75°C). Let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing / carving off slices of the chicken. Serve with pita, tzatziki and vegetables or in a bowl (see below for ideas).

Nutrition

• Calories: 395 kcal
• Total Fat: 18.7 g
• Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 12.6 g
• Cholesterol: 227.9 mg
• Sodium: 820.7 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 4.8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
• Total Sugars: 2.2 g
• Protein: 50.2 g